Inside Health Care #72: Dr. Nichola Davis & the Call for the Community Health Worker
February 2, 2022 · David J. Smolar
Imagine you’re sick. You visit the doctor, they examine you, discuss their findings, and prescribe some kind of medicine or therapeutic care for you to do at home. But at home, you might be alone and sick. It might be hard for some people to cook for themselves, schedule their medication, self-administer tests and therapies…and even find a ride to the next doctor’s appointment.
This is where a Community Health Worker comes into view. They make up the workforce that picks up the baton from primary care, helping carry the patient through their treatment, filling in gaps to do what’s necessary for them to recover and improve. The CHW is an essential part of the health care work force, and in New York City, a new emphasis on them will strengthen health care’s presence and help resolve equity gaps for all.
Enter our featured guest, Dr. Nichola Davis, Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer at New York City’s Health and Hospitals. She leads programs that cover everything from innovative care models and population health analytics, to chronic disease management and social determinants of health evaluations. An award-winning, Board-certified internist specializing in treating people with obesity, Dr. Davis maintains a clinical practice in weight management at North Central Bronx Hospital.
You won’t want to miss, Dr. Davis’ insight on covid, on equity, and weaknesses in access to quality care within economically challenged communities. She also delivers big news about a big, new project: The New York City Public Health Corps.
Dayna Bell, Executive Director for Health Care Quality at Aetna/CVS Health, joins later. A long-time NCQA veteran, she reminds us of the importance of being prepared. We talk “Accreditation Readiness,” and delivers details on the webinar of the same name.
